(And how to avoid falling victim to "Marketing Malpractice")
Doctors often tell us about their difficulties with finding and evaluating healthcare marketing talent. So we thought we'd give you a "cheat sheet" to help you.
Before we do that, however, let's set the stage.
By and large, most providers are a scientific, pragmatic bunch. They look for results, and are not impressed with smoke and mirrors.
The trouble is, they complain, few marketers seem to speak their same language.
Why? One of the "little secrets" is the fact many marketers are either administrators who worked their way up through the ranks somewhere, or frustrated writers or artists who'd rather be writing the Great American Novel, painting, or some other "serious" creative endeavor.
Even if they are smart and well intended, many of these people focus on what is pretty or clever, rather than what actually works in the marketplace.
That's not to say that great talent doesn't exist. It's just that the best 5 percent are highly sought after, always very busy, and usually very expensive.
Believe me, you are not alone. Even marketing executives rarely bat above 300 when picking creative talent. A lot of people show well (after all, they're marketers), but then turn out to be disappointing.
Remember, anyone can call himself a "marketer" - there is no license required.
So what can you do?
To avoid costly mistakes, here are some criteria you should consider when evaluating professional marketing services:
So whether or not we ever get the chance to meet you, you owe it to yourself to evaluate would-be vendors against the above criteria. After all, this is your reputation and hard-earned money we are talking about. By the way, we'll be glad to have you evaluate us according to the same "acid test."
Marketing a healthcare organization can be challenging - even painful if you don't approach it with the right knowledge, tools, and guidance. By reading about mistakes and lessons others have learned the hard way, you can boost your marketing effectiveness and take a shortcut to success. Discover how to avoid these "Seven Deadly Sins". Plus, join over 30,000 of your fellow healthcare providers with a free subscription to our Insight Newsletter.